11042 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

As the data shows, auto ownership rates on the Island are rising. More cars are purchased on a per-family basis. Mode share continues to be 90% car-based.

Just look at downtown Victoria. Offices are on average 30-50% full, but on-street parking is at 80-90% of pre-covid levels while weekly transit ridership in the City of Victoria has fallen between 62 and 68%.

[On the Level]

Doubt it was so much "the bike lobby" as much as a city planner wanting these changes. 

 

I wouldn't be so sure.  The bellweather moment for understanding the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition's intent was proposing air quality samples to measure threats from cars and the impact from Bike Lanes. 

 

Now this at face value is fine, but then it became apparent that there was no sample reading from before the bike lanes were installed.  No sample reading from afterwards which would include the extra congestion and idling created.  It was simply an attempt to cherry pick data that solely benefits a special interest group regardless of real objective data.  We would get a slanted and possibly misleading result all wrapped in a "Fact Based" UVIC style argument.  For all we know the real end result of the bike lanes is an increase in carbon emissions due to the congestion created.  We'll never know.

[rjag]

Doubt it was so much "the bike lobby" as much as a city planner wanting these changes. The profession has moved away from the car first mentality of the 20th century to a people first one.

I didn’t realize that people don’t drive cars.🤷‍♂️

[Nparker]

I didn’t realize that people don’t drive cars.

Woke people don't drive cars. That's why you still so many vehicles on the roads.

[mbjj]

Considering the number of driver exams delayed due to Covid, people are still learning to drive. I also read that car ownership is on the rise in Denmark.

[Victoria Watcher]

Doubt it was so much "the bike lobby" as much as a city planner wanting these changes. The profession has moved away from the car first mentality of the 20th century to a people first one.

car ownership is at an all-time high.

[FogPub]

Well the biggest problem isn't Kimta, it's getting between the E&N and Kimta. That can't be fixed with mere signage, and needs improvements. Kimta yes could be shared, but according to the detailed design report, the public consultation showed support for a 2 way bike lane on Kimta instead of a shared roadway. So democracy or something.

 

Also interesting, Richardson and Government north of Pembroke will actually gain parking. Bet most of you are gonna be surprised by that decision. The need for parking is actually why through traffic on Richardson would be so impacted. The report lays out the motivations for all the designs, including why alternatives weren't chosen, so read it to know more, I defer all further questions to the people who actually worked on it or are civil engineers lol.

How is getting from the E&N to Kimta a problem?  Wouldn't you just go down/up Catherine just by Spinnakers Pub?  Or am I missing something?

[Mike K.]

There’s a trail along the tracks that takes you to Mary from Kimta/Catherine, and then the crossing is at Robert. But to get to Robert you either need to walk your bike the short distance or ride on the sidewalk, if you’re heading out of town. Heading into town you’re fully connected from the E & N to Kimta and have no hills whatsoever into downtown, unlike the hill along Esquimalt.

[jsan]

I’m not sure if this has been shared before, but the goal is for Victoria to be a “Smart City” beacon to the world. If you can get through the verbiage here’s the document https://southislandp...hip_final-1.pdf

Everyone out of their cars, all transportation seamlessly connected, you will just need a mobile app. It’s all for the benefit of the “community.” Page 43 outlines how your data will be protected, so there’s no need to worry about privacy etc.

Edited by jsan, 12 July 2020 - 08:57 AM.

[Nparker]

As long as the current council is in place, Victoria can NEVER be smart.

[todd]

As long as the current council is in place, Victoria can NEVER be smart.

^^^^^^If only somebody could run and rescue Victoria^^^^^^^^

But yes vote splitting

[A Girl is No one]

I’m not sure if this has been shared before, but the goal is for Victoria to be a “Smart City” beacon to the world. If you can get through the verbiage here’s the document https://southislandp...hip_final-1.pdf

Everyone out of their cars, all transportation seamlessly connected, you will just need a mobile app. It’s all for the benefit of the “community.” Page 43 outlines how your data will be protected, so there’s no need to worry about privacy etc.

Hmmm the vision for the future seems to predominantly display pictures of the already extinct shareable bikes (green bikes). I hope the rest of the vision is a tad more durable... 😉

[Freedom57]

Everyone out of their cars, all transportation seamlessly connected, you will just need a mobile app.

What happens to those people who don't have mobile/smart phones in this scenario?

[aastra]

^First they're persecuted, then they're fined, then they're imprisoned.

[aastra]

The authorities are willing to do whatever it takes to protect and enhance the community. If individualism ends up getting crushed in the process then that's just a happy coincidence.

 

Seriously though, it's amazing, isn't it? No matter what issue we happen to be discussing in our modern world, the ideal approach for addressing it always hinges on the same principles: tracking, tracing, profiling, monitoring, surveillance...

[rmpeers]

Hmmm the vision for the future seems to predominantly display pictures of the already extinct shareable bikes (green bikes). I hope the rest of the vision is a tad more durable... 😉

Ah yes, Lisa's Free China Vacation, LOL. What was the purpose of that trip again? To provide an economic boost for the city's chop shop sector? Classic.

[Danma]

Why wouldn't you cross over onto the pedestrian bridge once you cross out of downtown, then take the pathway onto Kimta, then connect to the E&N via the pathway at Catherine which connects with the crossing at the pet hospital?

 

I often do do that. But that pathway to Kimta is pretty tight and full of pedestrians, especially at 5PM. I'm hoping once the E&N connector is implemented, it would be widened or redone so that it's friendlier for both cyclists and pedestrians.

Edit: my comments in regards to the pathway should extend to all the multi-use paths here during peak hours. It can be super busy if you catch it at the right time.

Edited by Danma, 12 July 2020 - 01:17 PM.

[Mike K.]

The authorities are willing to do whatever it takes to protect and enhance the community. If individualism ends up getting crushed in the process then that's just a happy coincidence.

Seriously though, it's amazing, isn't it? No matter what issue we happen to be discussing in our modern world, the ideal approach for addressing it always hinges on the same principles: tracking, tracing, profiling, monitoring, surveillance...

Where Google failed in Toronto, SIPP will succeed in Victoria to show Google how it’s done.

[mbjj]

What happens to those people who don't have mobile/smart phones in this scenario?

I don't. My daughter has a phone but only internet if she's in a place with internet. Same with my husband and friend. And our other friend up the street doesn't have any sort of technology.

[UserofVic]

As the data shows, auto ownership rates on the Island are rising. More cars are purchased on a per-family basis. Mode share continues to be 90% car-based.

Just look at downtown Victoria. Offices are on average 30-50% full, but on-street parking is at 80-90% of pre-covid levels while weekly transit ridership in the City of Victoria has fallen between 62 and 68%.

90%? The 2017 CRD survey found only 71% of all trips in Greater Victoria (Sooke-Sidney) within a 24 hour period were done by car, following a downward trend year after year. If you're citing the 90% number for the island as a whole, well that's disingenuous as no regional routes are being impacted by these designs and however people cross Nanaimo has no impact on South Oak Bay. Only 64.1% of trips internal to the core municipalities were by car, 6.9% by bike. Nearly 20% on foot. While yes it is still a majority by car, it's a far cry from 90%, and importantly cars retain the majority of transportation infrastructure both in the region and the city of Victoria itself (where bikes were at 8% then, likely higher continuing the long term trend).

 

While yes COVID will have impacts on the total number of trips, especially commutes, and this will impact mode share, transit is the only mode that people are actively avoiding. If anything cycling has become more appealing. Lots of cities in North America and Australia have actually noticed an increase in cycling since the pandemic started. A broader look into travel patterns and the type of trips people are taking is needed. We know total trips are down, but that doesn't mean there has been a bike to car mode shift. We don't know that yet.

 

As for parking, what's the off street parking looking like? On street parking's obviously going to fill up first, that is an incomplete picture. Additionally, how's the parking just a few blocks outside of downtown compared to pre-COVID? The prime spots being full only tells me downtown isn't completely dead.

 

Also for transit ridership, the main question I have there is what times of the week did ridership drop the most, and for what routes? Also how does the ridership drop compare to overall transportation demand? I imagine peak rush hour service and UVic/Camosun trips account for a sizable portion of lost ridership as a large portion of Greater Victoria currently does not commute at all. But again I'll say that lower transit ridership often spurs an increase in cycling (Of course the size varies depending on local context, Vic is suited for an ok one) edit: Commutes are generally 5 times a week. Shopping, social, and other recreational trips are generally less frequent, especially with COVID

 

Oh and maybe I'm missing what the car ownership means, but if it's a simple X cars per person that misses the distribution of vehicles. My brother for example has a drift car and a normal vehicle. Meanwhile I own none. Not all car owners drive for every trip.

 

I know you don't have better data since I don't think detailed versions exist just yet, but there's multiple ways to interpret it, so I don't find it that convincing, especially since the full long term impacts of COVID are yet to be seen. Infrastructure planning is done based on decades, not months.

 

I'll also be clear that I have no real opinion on Richardson, that whole section of the region is irrelevant to me, with the only destinations being closer to Fairfeild ave. I never claimed to be in support of it, though not rejection either.

Edited by UserofVic, 12 July 2020 - 03:44 PM.